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Deputy President William Ruto has once again been warned against relying on Central Kenya support in his bid to become president in 2022.

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) leaders have said that The National Alliance (TNA) side of the Jubilee coalition is likely to ditch the deputy president once Uhuru is re-elected into State House in 2017, and want him to make a decision on the same.

Speaking Thursday, June 30, during the launch of CORD co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka’s official website, Raila Odinga said that leaders in the opposition have been victims of the deceit after supporting former President Mwai Kibaki in 2002.

CORD leader Raila Odinga and DP William Ruto. Raila and Kalonzo have warned Ruto that Mt. Kenya will not support him in 2022.

“The latest is when President Mwai Kibaki and Kalonzo Musyoka had a MoU to start the shuttle diplomacy, so that the UN and the ICC could defer the cases, promising to support the latter in 2013, but they brought Uhuru Kenyatta and forgot about my brother Kalonzo,” Raila said as quoted by Star.

His words were reiterated by Kalonzo who said he had agreed with Kibaki in 2008 at the height of the post-election violence that he will support him (Kalonzo) in 2013.

The Wiper party leader said he agreed to be Kibaki’s vice president so that he could be supported in 2013. Instead, Kibaki never showed that support.

“I walked around with Kibaki and he assured my people they will support me but it never happened,” he said.

Their sentiments come amid heightened tension in Jubilee over remarks made by some of its leaders regarding Ruto’s 2022 presidential ambitions.

Early this week, nominated TNA Senator Paul Njoroge told Ruto that he should stop campaigning in Mt. Kenya region and said that he is not guaranteed automatic support come 2022.

He further said the Kikuyu community will elect anyone they wanted and are not bound by the promise made to Ruto by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Njoroge said Ruto was promised the 2022 presidency through fear that he could dump Uhuru in 2017.

Early on, Kiambu Governor William Kabogo had made the same statement, warning Ruto that any deal on Mt. Kenya support had to be discussed.

Retired military chief Julius Karangi with President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto. Ruto is optimistic Mt. Kenya will support him in 2022.

Kabogo said Ruto should not be sure of automatic support from the region as the leaders and voters have to sit and agree on who to support.

“Even if we promised someone a seat, we will have to sit down and talk. We will not just give away the seat like that. If you think because we agreed it will go like that, we have the votes and therefore have to be respected,” Kabogo said.

However, Uhuru with whom Ruto made the agreement, said that his TNA side will support the deputy president come 2022.

Through former director at State House Munyori Buku, Uhuru maintained that he has all the confidence in Ruto and knows he has the ability to become a good leader.